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Mohanta TK, Mohanta YK, Kaushik P, Kumar J. Physiology, genomics, and evolutionary aspects of desert plants. J Adv Res 2024; 58:63-78. [PMID: 37160225 PMCID: PMC10982872 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the exposure to arid environmental conditions across the globe ultimately hampering the sustainability of the living organism, few plant species are equipped with several unique genotypic, biochemical, and physiological features to counter such harsh conditions. Physiologically, they have evolved with reduced leaf size, spines, waxy cuticles, thick leaves, succulent hydrenchyma, sclerophyll, chloroembryo, and photosynthesis in nonfoliar and other parts. At the biochemical level, they are evolved to perform efficient photosynthesis through Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) and C4 pathways with the formation of oxaloacetic acid (Hatch-Slack pathway) instead of the C3 pathway. Additionally, comparative genomics with existing data provides ample evidence of the xerophytic plants' positive selection to adapt to the arid environment. However, adding more high-throughput sequencing of xerophyte plant species is further required for a comparative genomic study toward trait discovery related to survival. Learning from the mechanism to survive in harsh conditions could pave the way to engineer crops for future sustainable agriculture. AIM OF THE REVIEW The distinct physiology of desert plants allows them to survive in harsh environments. However, the genomic composition also contributes significantly to this and requires great attention. This review emphasizes the physiological and genomic adaptation of desert plants. Other important parameters, such as desert biodiversity and photosynthetic strategy, are also discussed with recent progress in the field. Overall, this review discusses the different features of desert plants, which prepares them for harsh conditions intending to translate knowledge to engineer plant species for sustainable agriculture. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW This review comprehensively presents the physiology, molecular mechanism, and genomics of desert plants aimed towards engineering a sustainable crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tapan Kumar Mohanta
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 611, Oman.
| | - Yugal Kishore Mohanta
- Dept. of Applied Biology, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya, Baridua, Meghalaya 793101, India
| | - Prashant Kaushik
- Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, 125004, India
| | - Jitesh Kumar
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, United States
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2
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Perron N, Kirst M, Chen S. Bringing CAM photosynthesis to the table: Paving the way for resilient and productive agricultural systems in a changing climate. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 5:100772. [PMID: 37990498 PMCID: PMC10943566 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Modern agricultural systems are directly threatened by global climate change and the resulting freshwater crisis. A considerable challenge in the coming years will be to develop crops that can cope with the consequences of declining freshwater resources and changing temperatures. One approach to meeting this challenge may lie in our understanding of plant photosynthetic adaptations and water use efficiency. Plants from various taxa have evolved crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), a water-conserving adaptation of photosynthetic carbon dioxide fixation that enables plants to thrive under semi-arid or seasonally drought-prone conditions. Although past research on CAM has led to a better understanding of the inner workings of plant resilience and adaptation to stress, successful introduction of this pathway into C3 or C4 plants has not been reported. The recent revolution in molecular, systems, and synthetic biology, as well as innovations in high-throughput data generation and mining, creates new opportunities to uncover the minimum genetic tool kit required to introduce CAM traits into drought-sensitive crops. Here, we propose four complementary research avenues to uncover this tool kit. First, genomes and computational methods should be used to improve understanding of the nature of variations that drive CAM evolution. Second, single-cell 'omics technologies offer the possibility for in-depth characterization of the mechanisms that trigger environmentally controlled CAM induction. Third, the rapid increase in new 'omics data enables a comprehensive, multimodal exploration of CAM. Finally, the expansion of functional genomics methods is paving the way for integration of CAM into farming systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noé Perron
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Matias Kirst
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA; School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA.
| | - Sixue Chen
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS 38677-1848, USA.
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3
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Chomthong M, Griffiths H. Prospects and perspectives: inferring physiological and regulatory targets for CAM from molecular and modelling approaches. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:583-596. [PMID: 37742290 PMCID: PMC10799989 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND SCOPE This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) by integrating evolutionary, ecological, physiological, metabolic and molecular perspectives. A number of key control loops which moderate the expression of CAM phases, and their metabolic and molecular control, are explored. These include nocturnal stomatal opening, activation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase by a specific protein kinase, interactions with circadian clock control, as well as daytime decarboxylation and activation of Rubisco. The vacuolar storage and release of malic acid and the interplay between the supply and demand for carbohydrate reserves are also key metabolic control points. FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES We identify open questions and opportunities, with experimentation informed by top-down molecular modelling approaches allied with bottom-up mechanistic modelling systems. For example, mining transcriptomic datasets using high-speed systems approaches will help to identify targets for future genetic manipulation experiments to define the regulation of CAM (whether circadian or metabolic control). We emphasize that inferences arising from computational approaches or advanced nuclear sequencing techniques can identify potential genes and transcription factors as regulatory targets. However, these outputs then require systematic evaluation, using genetic manipulation in key model organisms over a developmental progression, combining gene silencing and metabolic flux analysis and modelling to define functionality across the CAM day-night cycle. From an evolutionary perspective, the origins and function of CAM succulents and responses to water deficits are set against the mesophyll and hydraulic limitations imposed by cell and tissue succulence in contrasting morphological lineages. We highlight the interplay between traits across shoots (3D vein density, mesophyll conductance and cell shrinkage) and roots (xylem embolism and segmentation). Thus, molecular, biophysical and biochemical processes help to curtail water losses and exploit rapid rehydration during restorative rain events. In the face of a changing climate, we hope such approaches will stimulate opportunities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Methawi Chomthong
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Howard Griffiths
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
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4
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Salazar-Gómez A, Velo-Silvestre AA, Alonso-Castro AJ, Hernández-Zimbrón LF. Medicinal Plants Used for Eye Conditions in Mexico-A Review. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1432. [PMID: 37895904 PMCID: PMC10610470 DOI: 10.3390/ph16101432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Medicinal plants have been historically significant for treating common human diseases in Mexico. Although some ethnobotanical research exists, limited ethnomedicinal data has documented medicinal plants employed for eye health. This review focuses on ethnomedicinal information and preclinical and clinical studies regarding medicinal plants used in Mexico for treating symptoms associated with eye conditions. An electronic database search was conducted by consulting scientific articles, books about Mexican herbal medicine, and academic theses. This work recorded 69 plant species belonging to 26 plant families, especially plants from the Crassulaceae family, which are used as remedies for irritation and infections in the eye. Eight of these medicinal plants have been the subject of preclinical studies using ocular models, and one medicinal plant has been tested in clinical trials. The evidence of pharmacological effects indicates the promising therapeutic potential of these medicinal plants for developing new treatments for eye conditions. However, toxicological studies are necessary to ensure safe application to the eye, particularly as traditional medicine continues to be relied upon worldwide. In addition, this review highlights the need to perform ethnobotanical and phytochemical studies in Mexico regarding the medicinal flora used as remedies for eye conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuar Salazar-Gómez
- Laboratorio de Investigación Interdisciplinaria, Área de Optomtería, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ENES-León UNAM), Blvd. UNAM 2011, Guanajuato 37684, Mexico;
| | - Amabile A. Velo-Silvestre
- Clínica de Optometría, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ENES-León UNAM), Blvd. UNAM 2011, Guanajuato 37684, Mexico;
| | - Angel Josabad Alonso-Castro
- Departamento de Farmacia, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta, Colonia Noria Alta Guanajuato, Guanajuato 36250, Mexico
| | - Luis Fernando Hernández-Zimbrón
- Laboratorio de Investigación Interdisciplinaria, Área de Optomtería, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ENES-León UNAM), Blvd. UNAM 2011, Guanajuato 37684, Mexico;
- Clínica de Optometría, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ENES-León UNAM), Blvd. UNAM 2011, Guanajuato 37684, Mexico;
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Pérez-López AV, Lim SD, Cushman JC. Tissue succulence in plants: Carrying water for climate change. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 289:154081. [PMID: 37703768 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2023.154081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Tissue succulence in plants involves the storage of water in one or more organs or tissues to assist in maintaining water potentials on daily or seasonal time scales. This drought-avoidance or drought-resistance strategy allows plants to occupy diverse environments including arid regions, regions with rocky soils, epiphytic habitats, and saline soils. Climate-resilient strategies are of increasing interest in the context of the global climate crisis, which is leading to hotter and drier conditions in many regions throughout the globe. Here, we describe a short history of succulent plants, the basic concepts of tissue succulence, the anatomical diversity of succulent morphologies and associated adaptive traits, the evolutionary, phylogenetic, and biogeographical diversity of succulent plants, extinction risks to succulents due to poaching from their natural environments, and the myriad uses and applications of economically important succulent species and the products derived from them. Lastly, we discuss current prospects for engineering tissue succulence to improve salinity and drought tolerance in crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arely V Pérez-López
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557-0330, USA.
| | - Sung Don Lim
- Department of Plant Life and Resource Science, Sangji University, Gangwon-do, 26339, South Korea.
| | - John C Cushman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557-0330, USA.
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6
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Khan AL. The phytomicrobiome: solving plant stress tolerance under climate change. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1219366. [PMID: 37746004 PMCID: PMC10513501 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1219366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
With extraordinary global climate changes, increased episodes of extreme conditions result in continuous but complex interaction of environmental variables with plant life. Exploring natural phytomicrobiome species can provide a crucial resource of beneficial microbes that can improve plant growth and productivity through nutrient uptake, secondary metabolite production, and resistance against pathogenicity and abiotic stresses. The phytomicrobiome composition, diversity, and function strongly depend on the plant's genotype and climatic conditions. Currently, most studies have focused on elucidating microbial community abundance and diversity in the phytomicrobiome, covering bacterial communities. However, least is known about understanding the holistic phytomicrobiome composition and how they interact and function in stress conditions. This review identifies several gaps and essential questions that could enhance understanding of the complex interaction of microbiome, plant, and climate change. Utilizing eco-friendly approaches of naturally occurring synthetic microbial communities that enhance plant stress tolerance and leave fewer carbon-foot prints has been emphasized. However, understanding the mechanisms involved in stress signaling and responses by phytomicrobiome species under spatial and temporal climate changes is extremely important. Furthermore, the bacterial and fungal biome have been studied extensively, but the holistic interactome with archaea, viruses, oomycetes, protozoa, algae, and nematodes has seldom been studied. The inter-kingdom diversity, function, and potential role in improving environmental stress responses of plants are considerably important. In addition, much remains to be understood across organismal and ecosystem-level responses under dynamic and complex climate change conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Latif Khan
- Department of Engineering Technology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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7
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Leverett A, Hartzell S, Winter K, Garcia M, Aranda J, Virgo A, Smith A, Focht P, Rasmussen-Arda A, Willats WGT, Cowan-Turner D, Borland AM. Dissecting succulence: Crassulacean acid metabolism and hydraulic capacitance are independent adaptations in Clusia leaves. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:1472-1488. [PMID: 36624682 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Succulence is found across the world as an adaptation to water-limited niches. The fleshy organs of succulent plants develop via enlarged photosynthetic chlorenchyma and/or achlorophyllous water storage hydrenchyma cells. The precise mechanism by which anatomical traits contribute to drought tolerance is unclear, as the effect of succulence is multifaceted. Large cells are believed to provide space for nocturnal storage of malic acid fixed by crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), whilst also buffering water potentials by elevating hydraulic capacitance (CFT ). The effect of CAM and elevated CFT on growth and water conservation have not been compared, despite the assumption that these adaptations often occur together. We assessed the relationship between succulent anatomical adaptations, CAM, and CFT , across the genus Clusia. We also simulated the effects of CAM and CFT on growth and water conservation during drought using the Photo3 model. Within Clusia leaves, CAM and CFT are independent traits: CAM requires large palisade chlorenchyma cells, whereas hydrenchyma tissue governs interspecific differences in CFT . In addition, our model suggests that CAM supersedes CFT as a means to maximise CO2 assimilation and minimise transpiration during drought. Our study challenges the assumption that CAM and CFT are mutually dependent traits within succulent leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair Leverett
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - Samantha Hartzell
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Klaus Winter
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - Milton Garcia
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - Jorge Aranda
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - Aurelio Virgo
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - Abigail Smith
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Paulina Focht
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Adam Rasmussen-Arda
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - William G T Willats
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Daniel Cowan-Turner
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Anne M Borland
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
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8
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Ievinsh G. Water Content of Plant Tissues: So Simple That Almost Forgotten? PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12061238. [PMID: 36986926 PMCID: PMC10058729 DOI: 10.3390/plants12061238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present review was to reconsider basic information about various functional aspects related to plant water content and provide evidence that the usefulness of measuring absolute water content in plant sciences is undervalued. First, general questions about water status in plants as well as methods for determining water content and their associated problems were discussed. After a brief overview of the structural organization of water in plant tissues, attention was paid to the water content of different parts of plants. Looking at the influence of environmental factors on plant water status, the differences caused by air humidity, mineral supply, biotic effects, salinity, and specific life forms (clonal and succulent plants) were analyzed. Finally, it was concluded that the expression of absolute water content on a dry biomass basis makes easily noticeable functional sense, but the physiological meaning and ecological significance of the drastic differences in plant water content need to be further elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gederts Ievinsh
- Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, 1 Jelgavas Str., LV-1004 Rīga, Latvia
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9
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Meng T, Xuan Y, Peng S. Superior thermal-charging supercapacitors with bio-inspired electrodes of ultra-high surface areas. iScience 2022; 25:104113. [PMID: 35402876 PMCID: PMC8983350 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
High-performance thermally chargeable supercapacitors (TCS) greatly depend on the design of electrode materials. The unique features of succulents of absorbing water for sustaining their lives during long severe droughts imply that there exist vast spaces inside these plants, which inspires us of fabricating biomass-based electrodes by means of such succulents to develop highly efficient TCS. The optimized porous carbon prepared from succulents presents a high specific surface area of up to 3188 m2 g−1, resulting in the superior capability of accommodating a vast amount of ions and promising thermal charging performance. The TCS with this carbon electrode can generate an open-circuit voltage of 565 mV under a temperature difference of 50°C with a temperature coefficient as high as 11.1 mV K−1. This article provides a new method for the preparation of porous carbon from biomass for the TCS system. Graded porous carbon is prepared from succulents as initial raw materials. The porous carbon presents a high specific surface area of up to 3188 m2 g−1. The NMR is utilized to characterize the superior ability of accommodating Li+. The system with the porous carbon can generate a voltage of 565 mV at ΔT = 50 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Meng
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
| | - Yimin Xuan
- School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
| | - Shengjie Peng
- College of Materials Science & Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, P. R. China
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10
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Khan AL, Lopes LD, Bilal S, Asaf S, Crawford KM, Balan V, Al-Rawahi A, Al-Harrasi A, Schachtman DP. Microbiome Variation Across Populations of Desert Halophyte Zygophyllum qatarensis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:841217. [PMID: 35432394 PMCID: PMC9009292 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.841217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts play a significant role in plant health and stress tolerance. However, few studies exist that address rare species of core-microbiome function during abiotic stress. In the current study, we compared the microbiome composition of succulent dwarf shrub halophyte Zygophyllum qatarensis Hadidi across desert populations. The results showed that rhizospheric and endosphere microbiome greatly varied due to soil texture (sandy and gravel). No specific bacterial amplicon sequence variants were observed in the core-microbiome of bulk soil and rhizosphere, however, bacterial genus Alcaligenes and fungal genus Acidea were abundantly distributed across root and shoot endospheres. We also analyzed major nutrients such as silicon (Si), magnesium, and calcium across different soil textures and Z. qatarensis populations. The results showed that the rhizosphere and root parts had significantly higher Si content than the bulk soil and shoot parts. The microbiome variation can be attributed to markedly higher Si - suggesting that selective microbes are contributing to the translocation of soluble Si to root. In conclusion, low core-microbiome species abundance might be due to the harsh growing conditions in the desert - making Z. qatarensis highly selective to associate with microbial communities. Utilizing rare microbial players from plant microbiomes may be vital for increasing crop stress tolerance and productivity during stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Latif Khan
- Department of Engineering Technology, College of Technology, University of Houston, Sugar Land, TX, United States
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Centre, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Lucas Dantas Lopes
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Centre for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
| | - Saqib Bilal
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Centre, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Sajjad Asaf
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Centre, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Kerri M. Crawford
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Venkatesh Balan
- Department of Engineering Technology, College of Technology, University of Houston, Sugar Land, TX, United States
| | - Ahmed Al-Rawahi
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Centre, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Centre, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Daniel P. Schachtman
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Centre for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
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Rawat N, Wungrampha S, Singla-Pareek SL, Yu M, Shabala S, Pareek A. Rewilding staple crops for the lost halophytism: Toward sustainability and profitability of agricultural production systems. MOLECULAR PLANT 2022; 15:45-64. [PMID: 34915209 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Abiotic stress tolerance has been weakened during the domestication of all major staple crops. Soil salinity is a major environmental constraint that impacts over half of the world population; however, given the increasing reliance on irrigation and the lack of available freshwater, agriculture in the 21st century will increasingly become saline. Therefore, global food security is critically dependent on the ability of plant breeders to create high-yielding staple crop varieties that will incorporate salinity tolerance traits and account for future climate scenarios. Previously, we have argued that the current agricultural practices and reliance on crops that exclude salt from uptake is counterproductive and environmentally unsustainable, and thus called for a need for a major shift in a breeding paradigm to incorporate some halophytic traits that were present in wild relatives but were lost in modern crops during domestication. In this review, we provide a comprehensive physiological and molecular analysis of the key traits conferring crop halophytism, such as vacuolar Na+ sequestration, ROS desensitization, succulence, metabolic photosynthetic switch, and salt deposition in trichomes, and discuss the strategies for incorporating them into elite germplasm, to address a pressing issue of boosting plant salinity tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishtha Rawat
- Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology Lab, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Silas Wungrampha
- Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology Lab, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Sneh L Singla-Pareek
- Plant Stress Biology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Min Yu
- International Research Centre for Environmental Membrane Biology, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
| | - Sergey Shabala
- International Research Centre for Environmental Membrane Biology, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China; Tasmanian Institute for Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Hobart Tas 7001, Australia.
| | - Ashwani Pareek
- Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology Lab, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali 140306, India.
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12
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Winter K, Smith JAC. CAM photosynthesis: the acid test. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:599-609. [PMID: 34637529 PMCID: PMC9298356 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
There is currently considerable interest in the prospects for bioengineering crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis - or key elements associated with it, such as increased water-use efficiency - into C3 plants. Resolving how CAM photosynthesis evolved from the ancestral C3 pathway could provide valuable insights into the targets for such bioengineering efforts. It has been proposed that the ability to accumulate organic acids at night may be common among C3 plants, and that the transition to CAM might simply require enhancement of pre-existing fluxes, without the need for changes in circadian or diurnal regulation. We show, in a survey encompassing 40 families of vascular plants, that nocturnal acidification is a feature entirely restricted to CAM species. Although many C3 species can synthesize malate during the light period, we argue that the switch to night-time malic acid accumulation requires a fundamental metabolic reprogramming that couples glycolytic breakdown of storage carbohydrate to the process of net dark CO2 fixation. This central element of the CAM pathway, even when expressed at a low level, represents a biochemical capability not seen in C3 plants, and so is better regarded as a discrete evolutionary innovation than as part of a metabolic continuum between C3 and CAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Winter
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePO Box 0843‐03092BalboaAncónRepublic of Panama
| | - J. Andrew C. Smith
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks RoadOxfordOX1 3RBUK
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13
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Fradera-Soler M, Leverett A, Mravec J, Jørgensen B, Borland AM, Grace OM. Are cell wall traits a component of the succulent syndrome? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1043429. [PMID: 36507451 PMCID: PMC9732111 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1043429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Succulence is an adaptation to low water availability characterised by the presence of water-storage tissues that alleviate water stress under low water availability. The succulent syndrome has evolved convergently in over 80 plant families and is associated with anatomical, physiological and biochemical traits. Despite the alleged importance of cell wall traits in drought responses, their significance in the succulent syndrome has long been overlooked. Here, by analyzing published pressure-volume curves, we show that elastic adjustment, whereby plants change cell wall elasticity, is uniquely beneficial to succulents for avoiding turgor loss. In addition, we used comprehensive microarray polymer profiling (CoMPP) to assess the biochemical composition of cell walls in leaves. Across phylogenetically diverse species, we uncover several differences in cell wall biochemistry between succulent and non-succulent leaves, pointing to the existence of a 'succulent glycome'. We also highlight the glycomic diversity among succulent plants, with some glycomic features being restricted to certain succulent lineages. In conclusion, we suggest that cell wall biomechanics and biochemistry should be considered among the characteristic traits that make up the succulent syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Fradera-Soler
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Department of Accelerated Taxonomy, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Marc Fradera-Soler, ; Olwen M. Grace,
| | - Alistair Leverett
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jozef Mravec
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Bodil Jørgensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Anne M. Borland
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Olwen M. Grace
- Department of Accelerated Taxonomy, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Marc Fradera-Soler, ; Olwen M. Grace,
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Leverett A, Hurtado Castaño N, Ferguson K, Winter K, Borland AM. Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) supersedes the turgor loss point (TLP) as an important adaptation across a precipitation gradient, in the genus Clusia. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2021; 48:703-716. [PMID: 33663679 DOI: 10.1071/fp20268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
As future climates continue to change, precipitation deficits are expected to become more severe across tropical ecosystems. As a result, it is important that we identify plant physiological traits that act as adaptations to drought, and determine whether these traits act synergistically or independently of each other. In this study, we assessed the role of three leaf-level putative adaptations to drought: crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), the turgor loss point (TLPΨ) and water storage hydrenchyma tissue. Using the genus Clusia as a model, we were able to explore the extent to which these leaf physiological traits co-vary, and also how they contribute to species' distributions across a precipitation gradient in Central and South America. We found that CAM is independent of the TLPΨ and hydrenchyma depth in Clusia. In addition, we provide evidence that constitutive CAM is an adaptation to year-long water deficits, whereas facultative CAM appears to be more important for surviving acute dry seasons. Finally, we find that the other leaf traits tested did not correlate with environmental precipitation, suggesting that the reduced transpirational rates associated with CAM obviate the need to adapt the TLPΨ and hydrenchyma depth in this genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair Leverett
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK; and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama; and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, 1206 West Gregory Drive, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; and Corresponding author.
| | - Natalia Hurtado Castaño
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Kate Ferguson
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Klaus Winter
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - Anne M Borland
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
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